Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Vicky from I’d Rather Be At The Beach who posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.
I thought I’d go with an older book this time, one of my classic crime fiction reads for The Classic Club which was first published in 1946. The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin was written at a different time with different needs, but lets see how different the opening page is…
Blurb
Richard Cadogan, poet and would-be bon vivant, arrives for what he thinks will be a relaxing holiday in the city of dreaming spires. Late one night, however, he discovers the dead body of an elderly woman lying in a toyshop and is coshed on the head. When he comes to, he finds that the toyshop has disappeared and been replaced with a grocery store. The police are understandably sceptical of this tale but Richard’s former schoolmate, Gervase Fen (Oxford professor and amateur detective), knows that truth is stranger than fiction (in fiction, at least). Soon the intrepid duo are careening around town in hot pursuit of clues but just when they think they understand what has happened, the disappearing-toyshop mystery takes a sharp turn…
Erudite, eccentric and entirely delightful – Before Morse, Oxford’s murders were solved by Gervase Fen, the most unpredictable detective in classic crime fiction. Amazon
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First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro
Well first it starts with a map, ok, a fairly rudimentary one but I can’t resist a map!
And then the book starts, straight into an action scene.
1, The Episode of the Prowling Poet
Richard Cadogan raised his revolver, took careful aim and pulled the trigger. The explosion rent the small garden, and like the widening circles which surrounded a pebble dropped into the water, created alarms and disturbances of diminishing intensity throughout the suburb of St John’s Wood. From the sooty trees, their leaves brown and gold in the autumn sunlight, rose flights of startled birds. In the distance a dog began to howl. Richard Cadogan went up to the target and inspected it in a dispirited sort of way. It bore no mark of any kind.
‘I missed it,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘Extraordinary.’
But perhaps not as different as you might imagine?
Would you keep reading? Hint – I did, and my review will be posted soon!
I’d keep reading. Wow the imagery is fantastic in this paragraph alone. Can’t wait to see your full review.
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Isn’t it brilliant? Such a fun read.
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fascinating paragraph and well written!!
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Looks excellent! Another one to add to the TBRs.
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I’m always a little wary of these classic crime reads because I’m such a big fan of contemporary too, but this was great and I did know from that first paragraph that me and The Moving Toyshop were going to get on!
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Hi! I’ve not read this, but it does sound really interesting. I’m surprised lol
Thanks for sharing!
Happy Tuesday – here is mine, Cleo! http://bit.ly/TTSurrender x
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Thanks for visiting and leaving your link 🙂
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Definitely would carry on reading!
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It’s a good opener, isn’t it?
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Oooh, The Moving Toyshop is one of Crispin’s best, Cleo! It’s a find story, and I’m glad you’re reading it. I’ll be really interested in knowing what you think of it when you’ve finished it.
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I’ve actually finished it and it was a great read – I will be reviewing it soon Margot.
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This sounds terrific; new title for me too. Enjoy Cleo
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Thank you Diane 🙂
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Yes, I’d keep reading and I can’t resist a map either. What struck me was imagine just shooting at a target with a revolver in a suburb! And then just casually checking the target and finding you hadn’t hit it. Where did the bullet go???
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Haha you sound just like my daughter wanting all the facts straight off!
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This does sound good. I am not familiar with the author but love mysteries. This week I am featuring Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston. Happy reading!
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Thank you so much for visiting Kathy 🙂
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Perhaps not on the first paragraph alone. The combination of the first paragraph AND the blurb, then YES definitely. I’m looking forward to your review.
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Sadly my resolution to write them all immediately has slipped but I’m working on the review….
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Nice! I like the idea of throwing a classic or two into the mix!
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I’m having great success with my list so far and it has made my reading far more diverse.
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Strangely, I actually love a book that starts off with a map, it feels like an adventure!
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Great imagery in the opening lines…I could almost see and feel everything. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
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Oh Cleao, I also love a good map at the beginning of a good mystery. It tells me the author really wants me to go along with the detective in solving the crime. Agatha Christie did that a few times. This book is going on my list. I’m so glad you featured this book today. Enjoy.
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Oh I’m delighted I’ve sold this one to your list – glad to hear I’m not the only one that loves a map – the puzzle is fiendish but fair…
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I would! I love that opening paragraph! And you can like this one as much as you like since it’s already on my TBR… 😀
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Haha I did like it – this Classics Club lark has been a winner so far – this book even had the word golly in it, more than once!
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Haha – a recent one of mine had a character who kept exclaiming “Losh!” and I’ve kinda adopted now as my new catchphrase… 😉
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I’d keep reading – it sounds fascinating! Here’s my Teaser/Intro for this week: http://bit.ly/2uIYUkX
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I’d keep reading!
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😊
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I’d definitely keep reading. This is one that I’ve not heard of before, and it sounds like something I’d like!
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Adding this to my list. I do love classic crime.
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